interfacing to vocalist's amp, keyboard piano

[soundhaspriority]

I've been asked to record and master two jazz/vocal albums. This time, I'm
flying to the location, everything has to fit into ATA cases, so I need to
double check with you guys:

1. In a typical club setting, the vocalist relies on a little carpet box
amp. I've actually experienced singers who, while virtually inaudible
without the amp, made a good sound with one. But to improve things a bit, I
would like to use a high quality condenser microphone and split it, taking a
direct feed. I am not familiar with the characteristics of cheap carpet box
amps, so I pose the following questions:

a. Might the amp be overloaded by a typical, high output condenser? If
padding is recommended, how much?
b. The carpet box has a 1/4" jack. Are all these things balanced these
days?
c. Any other considerations?

2. One of the pianists uses a portable electronic piano. What considerations
apply to getting a direct feed? 1/4" unbalanced, balanced, -10 or +4, what
is most likely to be encountered?

Bob Morein
(310) 237-6511

[Mike Rivers]

Soundhaspriority wrote:

> 1. In a typical club setting, the vocalist relies on a little carpet box
> amp.

> a. Might the amp be overloaded by a typical, high output condenser? If
> padding is recommended, how much?
> b. The carpet box has a 1/4" jack. Are all these things balanced these
> days?

It's like plugging an SM-57 into a guitar amplifier. While it's not out
of the
question these days that someone makes a small amplifier designed for
a vocal mic, which may have a balanced XLR input and supply phantom power,
it sounds like this isn't what the singer is using. You'd best bring a
phantom
power supply if you want to use a condenser mic.

> 2. One of the pianists uses a portable electronic piano. What considerations
> apply to getting a direct feed? 1/4" unbalanced, balanced, -10 or +4, what
> is most likely to be encountered?

Best to use a direct box. It'll give you a balanced XLR output at a kind
of hot
mic level.

For a gig like this, I'd bring a small mixer as a mic preamp with
phantom power,
use an auxiliary send to feed the singer's amplifier. You can plug the
DI from
the electric piano into another input, and you'll have a couple more
inputs for
audience or ambient mics.

[Badmuts[_2_]]

"Soundhaspriority" > wrote in message
...

> a. Might the amp be overloaded by a typical, high output condenser? If
> padding is recommended, how much?
> b. The carpet box has a 1/4" jack. Are all these things balanced
these
> days?
> c. Any other considerations?

Will you bring a mixer? If so, you could run the singer's amp from an aux
feed.

> 2. One of the pianists uses a portable electronic piano. What
considerations
> apply to getting a direct feed? 1/4" unbalanced, balanced, -10 or +4, what
> is most likely to be encountered?

2 x unbalanced -10. Just bring a couple of DI boxes.

Bm